My Sniper System in a Zombie Apocalypse World-Chapter 78: Chores for a Week

Jaxon woke up a little past one in the afternoon, having slept through the entire morning. His body still felt heavy, but the rest had done its job. Today, he planned to start close combat training. After a light breakfast, he headed straight to the training room.

The moment he arrived, heat and noise hit him.

Everyone was already there except Haris. Faces were flushed, shirts damp with sweat, and chests rose and fell as they struggled to keep up.

Elena’s sharp voice filled the room, echoing off the walls.

"Move it, people, move it! Don’t tell me those legs are just for show. Pick up the pace!"

The group pushed on.

Natasha was dominating the course, as expected. Even before all the chaos, she had always been in great shape. Her movements were clean and smooth, gliding past obstacles like it took no effort at all.

Cindy and Isabel followed behind her. Their legs shook with every step, but neither of them stopped. They pushed forward through sheer will, refusing to fall behind.

Then there was Burgors.

The big man was sprinting hard, long strides eating up the ground as his feet slammed against the floor. For a brief moment, he was even ahead of Natasha. Jaxon raised an eyebrow. It turned out the big guy was the fastest runner among them, his legs pumping like machines.

"Come on, Burgors! Don’t you dare slow down now. You’re doing great!" Elena shouted, clearly surprised by his speed.

Burgors flashed a wide grin at the praise, but it did not last. His breathing soon turned rough, shoulders rising and falling as his pace began to slip.

Hannah and the twins were like little energizer bunnies, darting through the course with endless energy. Despite being the youngest, they ran and laughed, giggling as they zipped past obstacles. Their movements were sloppy at times, but their stamina was impressive.

Elaine’s group, on the other hand, struggled to keep up. Faces pale and bodies trembling, they panted heavily with every step. Weeks locked in the classroom with minimal food and water had taken their toll. They were determined to push themselves, but their weakened bodies made it difficult.

Noticing Jaxon arrive, Elena didn’t even slow her pace, her eyes fixed on the runners. "You finally woke up," she called out. "Get your ass in here and join the fun."

"Nah, I’m good," Jaxon said, leaning against the doorframe. "I was hoping you could teach me some close combat moves instead."

Elena stopped mid-stride and turned, one eyebrow raised. "You build the base first before learning close combat. Stamina and agility come before technique."

"I think I’m fine," Jaxon insisted. He knew that even if he trained physically now, the stat gains would be minimal and inefficient. His real goal was to learn close combat.

"Really?" Elena crossed her arms, unconvinced.

"Then see for yourself, give me one of your drills." Jaxon said, giving up on trying to explain his physique.

"Jaxon, why don’t we have a race?" Burgors suddenly spoke, a wide grin spreading across his face. A bright idea had struck him. This was the perfect chance to show off to the girls, and maybe impress Elena at the same time.

Elena smirked, amusement glinting in her eyes. "A race, huh? Burgors, you think you can outrun him? You might be fast, but Jaxon has some hidden talents."

Burgors puffed out his chest, trying to look even bigger. "It’s fine if you lose, man. Even your sister couldn’t keep up with me, no offense." he said with a grin, patting Jaxon’s shoulder in a teasing, almost condescending way.

Natasha rolled her eyes at him.

"Sure," Jaxon said, chuckling. "What are the stakes?"

"Stakes?" Burgors blinked. He hadn’t thought that far and quickly glanced at Elena for help.

Elena clapped her hands together, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "The loser does everyone else’s chores for the rest of the week. Deal?"

"Deal!" Burgors said quickly, eager to accept.

Everyone else leaned in, curious. Hae-in and her classmates already knew Jaxon’s capabilities and exchanged knowing glances, shaking their heads. Cindy gave him a small, encouraging smile, silently cheering him on.

Elena raised her hand. "On your marks... get set..." She paused as she grinned. "Five laps."

"Five laps? Whoa, hold on a second!" Burgors’ eyes widened in alarm. He knew his stamina might not last that far. "Let’s make it three. Three laps, that’s more than enough to prove who’s faster," he insisted, trying to secure a confident win.

Elena smirked, catching the nervous flicker in Burgors’ eyes. "Alright, fine. Three laps it is. Get ready... Begin!"

In an instant, Jaxon surged forward, leaving Burgors in the dust before the big man could even react. He held back a little, moving with a speed that was still within human limits, swift like the infected, yet faster and more controlled.

Natasha and the others watched in stunned silence. Jaxon had told his family about the system, but he had conveniently left out the part about stat gains from killing zombies. Elaine and the students were equally shocked, they knew he was strong, but this was on another level.

"What the hell, man? Why didn’t you tell me you were this fast? I just lost some brownie points with the girls," Burgors whispered, panting.

"You’re the one who suggested the race," Jaxon said with a chuckle, shrugging innocently.

Elena finally recovered from her surprise and clapped her hands. "Alright, show’s over." Her gaze sharpened as she looked at Jaxon. "Come with me. We’ll start your close combat training."

Then she spun back to the rest of the group. "The rest of you, back to drills. No slacking! I expect to see improvement, or you’ll be running laps all day."

Groans filled the room as training resumed. Even so, more than a few eyes followed Jaxon as he walked away.

Elena led Jaxon to a quiet corner of the training room, away from the others. She stopped in front of him and tossed a pair of padded gloves into his hands.

Before he could adjust, she stepped in, grabbing his wrist and yanking him forward. Jaxon barely had time to react before her elbow drove toward his chest, stopping just inches short.

"First rule," Elena said calmly, "never trade blows. Always create space."

She released him and demonstrated again, this time slower and deliberate. A sharp forearm block redirected an imaginary grab, followed by a quick elbow strike and a knee thrust aimed at the lower body.

"Zombies don’t feel pain. I’ve tried it before," she explained. "So don’t waste energy. Hit to break their balance instead, to knock them off their feet."

Next, she showed him how to shove with the heel of the palm, straight to the chest, using his body weight to generate force, then step back immediately, creating distance.

"Push, step, disengage. Always move away, always be ready to escape."

She grabbed his collar, simulating a sudden lunge from an infected. Jaxon tensed, his muscles coiling in anticipation, but Elena twisted his arm outward, using his own momentum to spin him aside, disrupting his balance.

"If it grabs you," she explained, "control the arm, turn your body, and throw it off-line. Never let the head get close."

She let go and nodded. "Practice that until it’s instinct. Let’s try again."

Jaxon nodded, raising his hands. "Let me try."

Elena gave a brief nod and stepped in.

This time, the moment her fingers brushed his sleeve, Jaxon moved. His forearm snapped up, redirecting her grab cleanly. His elbow followed, stopping just short of her ribs, and his knee rose in a sharp, controlled motion. He stepped back, creating space exactly as she had taught.

The movement was fast, almost fluid.

Elena halted mid-step, eyes narrowing in surprise.

She lunged again, harder this time. Jaxon twisted with her momentum, turning her arm off-line and pushing her away in one smooth motion. He was already two steps back before she could reset.

Elena straightened slowly, studying him. "The hell... I thought you were a sniper. How can you move like that?"

"I don’t know," Jaxon said with a shrug, a small smile on his lips. "Maybe I’m a fast learner."

She stepped closer, a glint of excitement in her eyes. "Alright then. If you can move like that, I’ll teach you how not to waste it."

She raised her hands again. "Again."

Elena continued to teach Jaxon for hours, pushing him to his limits, guiding him through various techniques and drills. He absorbed everything like a sponge, his movements becoming more fluid and precise with each passing minute, his body adapting to the demands of close combat.

Hae-in’s curiosity got the better of her, and she turned to see how Jaxon was doing. The moment her eyes landed on him, she froze. A faint blush crept across her cheeks, but she quickly looked away, stealing glances from the corner of her eyes.

"Hae-in, why did you slow down? Your cheeks are flushed, are you okay?" Elaine asked from behind, her voice tinged with concern. She noticed Hae-in seemed distracted, maybe even a little unwell. Following her gaze, Elaine’s own eyes widened, and she quickly looked away, her cheeks warming in surprise.

Na-rin and Natasha were momentarily distracted, and the others soon noticed too, their heads turning toward the same spot.

On the side of the training room stood Jaxon, his clothes damp with sweat and clinging to his body. The thin fabric of his t-shirt did little to conceal the sculpted contours of his refined muscles. His body was fit and toned, more like someone who trained with calisthenics than a bulky bodybuilder.

"Brother, when did you get so fit?" Cindy blurted out, rushing over. Her voice was full of delight and admiration. Her eyes roamed over him, taking in his form.

"Huh... what are..." Jaxon muttered, glancing down at his body. He hadn’t really paid attention lately, too focused on surviving. But now, standing still for the first time in days, he noticed his clothes were fitting tighter across his shoulders. On a sudden impulse, he tugged at the hem of his shirt, pulling it away from his stomach to see the faint outline of refined abs gleaming with sweat. The muscles felt hard and unfamiliar beneath his fingertips.

Cindy’s eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed as they lingered on his toned form.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, noticing the other girls sneaking glances as well. She quickly tugged his shirt back down, and shot a cautious look at the others, who all quickly looked away.

Jaxon stayed quiet, still examining himself, feeling the newfound strength. ’This must be because of my improved stats,’ he realized.

"Tch, Jaxon, you’re so handsome, dude!" Burgors called from the side, completely unbothered as he voiced his envy, earning a few quiet chuckles from the group.